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Kalah Emirate
The Kalah Emirate is the trade center of Eraterra. Located in the northern shores and foothills of Vareth, this wealthy country forms the backbone of the global economy. Founded in 59 AC by Zurdum Dhenei, the country is one inhabited by gnomes, halflings, humans, and tieflings. Successful businessmen often lend their advice to the current ruler, helping shape the country and save it from potential economic ruin. Their most recent events include their attempt to build a canal through the Sicklegrip Isthmus, exile of the Sunborn, and a tense military situation with Libervareth. The Kalahian Vault As the intelligent races spawned and started populating Eraterra shorlty after the Creation, several migrating tribes settled in a small fertile valley. It is in between the foothills brushing against the northern coast, and the Ustura Desert to the south, a seemingly endless sea of dunes and scrublands. One of the tribe leaders, a Gnoll named Furu, decided that instead of violently subjugating the other tribes, to first reach out to them with an offer of mutual co-operation and protection. The northeastern tribe agreed, but the southwestern tribesmen declined, and drew their weapons instead. In 1 AC, Furu's combined forces waged a 5 month long war against the lone tribe, slowly whittling their fighting men away while burning their camps and homes. Eventually, the dissenting tribe admitted defeat, and most of the survivors immediately scattered to the desert. It is believed that these survivors are the direct ancestors of the Gnoll Tribes currently occupying the Ustura Desert. After Furu's victory, she was said to have been given visions from Savras, the god of divination and fate, containing wondrous sights: a sprawling city, with vibrant colors and shining gold, reaching out as far as the eye can see. It was said that this was the catalyst for her deciding to build the first city in the valley, next to the Oshena river. Work began in late 1 AC, and the first city blocks were complete by early 2 AC, though the city would not be finished for another 4 years. She christened the city Kalah, and would create the first written theory on legislative matters in Eraterra's history. A standing army was quickly created, and a need for better material for weapons and armor soon emerged. In 4 AC, Kalahian prospectors found ample amounts of iron and copper in the Bloodlands in the east, to which Furu immediately sent miners to begin gathering the strategic metals. Despite a high fatality rate due to accidents and dangerously hot weather conditions, the first shipment of iron arrived in the Kalahian forges in late 4 AC. These metals were eventually turned into ceremonial idols and artifacts, stored in a vault beneath the place. Some eyewitness accounts from the mine have also sworn that they found a brilliant sword within the caves, comfortably nestled against a wall and gleaming with a bright yellow light like the sun; they brought this sword to Furu, and it was said that the blade blessed the young nation with good harvests. In 14 AC, a growing religious movement suddenly exploded into the forefront, calling themselves the Sunborn. They claim to be monks and servants to Lathander, the god of Birth and Renewal. The Sunborn were well known for their fantastic, almost miraculous acts; a typical Sunborn exhibition would feature several dancers singing in a low chant, who were said to be both consumed by fire and dust simultaneously as they danced. When they would return back into their corporeal form, they appeared to be entirely unharmed. Furu, however, viewed them as a threat and ordered the army to arrest the Sunborn. Accounts are sparse as to what happens next; some scholars have taken the little evidence remaining of the event and suggested that the country was consumed by a nigh-endless dust storm, sloughing away anyone caught outside. Others say that the Sunborn launched a simultaneous attack on Furu, killing her, and the city, burying most of the loyalists in sand and rubble. No matter the method, Kalah quickly disintegrated as a society and many fled west and east to the newly born nations and duchies, such as the Jito to the west and Rivlandia to the east. Gold Beneath the Sand For the next 63 years, the once fertile valley slowly gave in to the sand. The Oshena river started shrinking and diverting its course, drying up much of the southeastern part of the valley. Some remnants of Kalah still remain, but the buildings were in a state of disrepair and only useful for those seeking shelter during their travels. During this time, the valley served as nothing more than a scenic destination in the middle of a trade route. Nevertheless, rumors swirled that the land held much more than sand and heat - a supposed ancient vault, somewhere within in the dunes that are devouring the crumbling city. In late 77 AC, the Jito sent one of their heirs, Huang Qe, to search for this vault as a way to atone for his hedonistic ways - an attempt by his father to have his son disappear. He arrived in the valley, infamously bragging to his retinue that he will find the vault before years end. With his small group of followers, he established a camp near the river and began planning his expedition. Initially, the search was unsuccessful. While he is credited with having uncovered much of the buried Kalah, he did not find any evidence of the location that he was searching for. In 78 AC, a curious group of monks and spiritualists approached him from the Ustura desert, telling him that they know the location of the vault, and invited him into a nearby camp. After a short discussion in which they seemed to ask him more questions than they themselves answered, they took him hostage and attempted to kill the couple followers that had accompanied him to the meeting. They were unsuccessful in catching them, and the followers, at the behest of the people at Qe's camp, rushed back to the Jito to report their findings. The clan leader, Zogho Qe, was uninterested in saving his son from the Sunborn, instead publicly hoping that the Sunborn would execute him.. However, among the crowd attending court that day was a Tabaxi named Jurito. He had stayed at the clan leader's estate in order to recover from a recent conflict with the Sirrah Chiefdoms, but upon hearing about Huang's capture he immediately took his leave and made his way to the newly named Oshena valley. He arrived a few days later, and quickly confronted the Sunborn. While it is unknown what had exactly happened at the Sunborn camp, the samurai was victorious, and rescued Huang along with a small, magical iron globe. This globe turned out of to be missing piece in the puzzle: during the night when Huang attempted to fiddle with it, a load groaning noise was heard from the ruins of Kalah. This turned out to be the entrance to the vault, and Jurito volunteered to go in first. He would disappear for a few days, before returning back to the Jito camp, wearing some of the lost Kalahian treasures as proof of his success. "A Pointless Establishment" Huang Qe immediately reported his findings to his father, claiming that the Kalahian vaults were overflowing with treasures. He proposed that the Jito kingdom should invest more resources in claiming the valley. His request was denied, stating that due to recent increases in tension with the neighboring Bosy Kingdom there was little reason for creating something that would, as his father wrote, eventually become 'a pointless establishment.' Huang was disappointed with the news, and refused to leave the Oshena valley. By 80 AC, the camp expanded to become a small agricultural community, ruled by Huang until his death. When he died around 20 years later, the community had a population of 530, sustaining itself and being largely independent of the Jito kingdom. Jurito had decided to renounce his vows to the kingdom and instead served only Huang. Huang had not named an heir, instead wishing for the people to choose their own ruler as Jurito took over as interim regent. This process would take around 5 years, as various community leaders campaigned for support which led to a stalemate. A notable incident involved a gnome named Asterdan, a foreigner from the northeast, challenging the head of a prominent farm, Hoy Kua, to a contest where they were tasked with planting a field of crops near the lowest banks of the Oshena river. Spectators said that it was too close to call, but both of the prospective leaders managed to plant 3 plots of land by nightfall. In late 86 AC, a final victor was declared - the human Jia Kaden was to lead the people in the valley. During his tenure, on 103 AC, the Jito Kingdom was absorbed by the Bosu. They sent in a envoy to the now last remnants of the Jito kingdom, and asked for their fealty. Jia refused, instead informing them that they considered themselves independent of Jito ever since Huang had died. The Bosu kingdom rejected their claim, and marched in a small contingent of soldiers to secure the valley. The Jitos responded by digging in on several sections of the valley, reaching from the foothills at the borders of Oshena and Bosu all the way to the agricultural community.